RICHMOND, Va. – Over the weekend, police responded to the third self-inflicted shooting involving a toddler in Central Virginia over the last six weeks.
On May 1, police said a 3-year-old boy fatally shot himself in a Chesterfield home. In early April, a two-year-old shot and injured himself in Richmond’s Fan District. And on Sunday, a 2-year-old allegedly shot himself in the arm in Henrico.
In the Chesterfield case, a man was charged with child neglect and allowing a child to access a firearm. In the Richmond case, the child's father was charged with felony child neglect. No charges have been filed in the Henrico case at this time.
Gwen Andrews works with Richmond Police as a community mediator and often works with victims’ families. She called this trend “out of the ordinary.”
“Sometimes parents and adults assume that the kids are afraid to hold a gun, or they’re not aware of where the gun is,” Andrews said. “They’re curious. They’re kids.”
There have been 63 unintentional shootings by children so far this year nationwide, according to the advocacy group Everytown.
Twenty-eight have resulted in deaths and 36 have resulted in injuries.
“It’s basically a loss on all ends, because you’re losing a child or a sibling, and then parents are left with that grief. So it just impacts the entire family unit,” Andrews said.
Richmond Police began giving residents free gun safes to prevent these accidental shootings. So far, they’ve given out at least 400 for free.
“We know that money is tight. But to me, it’s worthy, it’s a worthy endeavor,” Andrews said. “I’d rather have this than to continue to go to funerals or grief sessions.”
Local police or sheriff’s departments often give out free safes or gun locks when requested.
Where to get free gun safes and locks in the Richmond area
- Chesterfield County: Free cable gun locks available at all library locations
- Hanover County: Hanover County Community Services Board provides free cable locks for guns
- Richmond: Call Gwen Andrews with Richmond Police at (804) 526-0451
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